Friday, 6 May 2011

Danelectro Wild Things

The Evets Corporation, current day owners of the Danelectro brand, have hit on an interesting marketing strategy in recent years. They re-issue guitars from the 1950s and 60s in limited edition and make them available for a year. This means there are frequently new models for fans and collectors of the brand. Of course it won't be too long before they exhaust the back catalogue of instruments and have to start repeating themselves. The latest crop of guitars sees the single-cutaway '56 style yet again, in a new interpretation has a lipstick humbucker at the bridge and a single coil lipstick at the neck and is also availble with a choice of headstock styles including the clasic "dolphin-nose" style.

More interesting, I think, are the above pictured guitars that Danelectro have dubbed the "Mid 60s Guitars" but which most suppliers are referring to as the "Wild Thing" series. Apparently these are based on a 1960s Danelectro prototype guitar. It is unmistakeably a Danelectro design, although the twin pointy horns both pointing southwards are reminiscent of the B.C. Rich Mockingbird. (A Danelectro/B.C. Rich hybrid - now there's an off-the-wall concept I'd like to see if it was done properly!)

Available in guitar, bass, and baritone models, these latest offerings from Danelectro are priced at $399 each, although many retailers are selling them for $299. Colours available are black, candy apple red, and candy apple blue (eh? Whoever saw blue apples?).